It has been determined that in order to produce and maintain a high grade lawn, it is necessary to provide the conditions which will encourage the growth of the finer turf grasses. Such conditions, however, at the same time should be hostile to the coarse and surface creeping grasses which are both unsightly. If not controlled such grasses will choke out the finer growth.
Past experience has demonstrated that two of the operations which are essential to achieving these conditions are periodically scarifying the turf in order to remove dead mat and moss. The second operation includes the regular raking of the surface of the lawn to lift up the stolons of creeping grasses and weeds so that these can be cut short by subsequent mowing or scything or provision may be made for uprooting the offensive grasses and weeds. It is also necessary from time to time to remove surface debris such as leaves, twigs and small stones.
It will be obvious that for the average amateur gardener the only means available for performing these tasks is laborious hand raking with a wire rake or similar tool, or brushing and removal of the debris by hand in order to produce a well manicured lawn. These operations are both very time consuming and extremely tiring so that relatively few gardeners are able or willing to perform them as often as is needed or desirable. Furthermore, it is generally recommended that moss should be chemically killed before removal to prevent the moss from spreading, requiring yet another operation.
Mechanical scarifying equipment is available for professional use on golf courses, sports grounds and the like, but such machines require a certain degree of skill to operate and in unskilled hands could cause excessive damage or be themselves seriously damaged by striking hard obstructions or surfaces. They are also generally too heavy and cumbersome for use in the confined areas of the average domestic garden and do require that the turf should be reasonably free from undulations. Finally, of course, as would be expected such equipment is very costly.
Although hand propelled rotary brushes and suction cleaners are available for clearing surface debris they have no other use and can only be justified if large areas of turf are involved.